Smoker&#39;s pipe



Aug. 18, 1931. R. w. BANKS 1,819,052

SMOKERS PIPE Filed May 26, 1928 M w a" w Q ea .27

[if/b55555 IN V EN TOR.

r 2055,92" m I BAN/ 5 Y BY I WW T Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES ROBERT W. BANKS, OF EL DORADO, ARKANSAS sivrorinns PIPE Application filed. May 26, 1928. Serial No. 280,768.

This invention relates to improvements in smokers pipes and has as its general objectto provide a pipe which will present decided advantages over smokers pipes as ordinarily constructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a smokers pipe embodying means for effectually filtering and cooling the smoke in its passage from the bowl of the pipe to the mouthpiece of the pipe stem, so that when the smoke reaches the smokers mouth it will be cool and free from impurities, moisture, or solid particles such as pieces of tobacco or a sh.

Another object of the invention is to provide a smokers pipe embodying means for preventing saliva reaching the tobacco in the bowl of the pipe, thus insuring against the tobacco becoming moistened and maintaining the same in a dry condition sothat it will burn freely.

Another object of the invention is to provide a smokers pipe embodying means for effectually preventing ashes or particles of tobacco entering the stem of the pipe from the bowl and reaching the mouth of the smoker, and in this connection the invention also contemplates the provision of means for the purpose stated above which will also serve to prevent the stem of the pipe from becoming clogged with accumulations of tobacco or ashes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe which may be conveniently and thoroughly cleansed of accumulations of moisture, ashes and particles of tobacco, this cleansing of the'pipe being accomplished, due to the peculiar construction of the pipe, without the necessity of removing the pipe 40 stem or the necessity of using a stem wiper or a straw or wire, and in this connection the invention contemplates so constructing the pipe that it may be cleansed without, as stated, removing the stem from the bowl,

and also without the necessity of knocking the bowl to dislodge the tobacco.

Another object of the invention is to provide a smokers pipe of such construction that saliva and moisture is prevented from accumulating in the bottom of the bowl of the pipetherebypermitting all of the tobacco in the bowl to be completely consumed, thus avoiding the annoyance usually caused a smoker due to the necessity of removin the moistened tobacco and refilling the bow before all of the tobacco therein has been consumed, the invention likewise contemplating, in this connection, the elimination of the frying of the tobacco in the bottom of the bowl which occurs in the use of the ordinary pipe and which creates disagreeable odors. v

lVhile the accompanying drawings and the description which is to follow, constitute a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made within the, scope of what is claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section illustrating one form of pipe embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a slight modification of the invention.

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating a further modification of the invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modification of the structure shown in Figure 3. 1

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a further modification of the invention. I

Generally speaking, the present invention contemplates the provision of a pipe embodying a bowl, a stem, and a combined cooling and filtering chamber through which the smoke passes from the bowl to the stem, this general idea of invention being present in all of the illustrated forms of the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, the bowl of the pipe is indicated by the numeral 1, the filtering and cooling chamber by the numeral 2, and the stem by the numeral 3. The chamber 2 is preferably of cylindrical form and, in this embodiment is preferably open at its lower end, the chamber comprising a hollow cylindrical body 4 of any material found suitable for the purpose. A

short stem 5 of any suitable material is fitted at its ends in openigs 6 and 7 formed in the walls of the bowl 1 and body 1 of the chamber 2 and constitutes means for conducting smoke from the burning tobacco in the bowl 1, into the chamber 2, the tube 5 communicating with the bowl 1 close to the bottom thereof and with the chamber 2 preferably midway between the upper and lower ends of the body 4 of the chamber. The wall of the chamber 2 is formed at its side opposite the side in which the opening 7 is formed, with an opening 8, and the intake end of the pipe stem 3 is fitted into this opening. A

closure plug 9 is removably fitted into the open lower end of the chamber 2 and closes the same and is preferably provided with a marginal circumscribing flange 10 which abuts against the lower edge of the wall of the body 1 of the said chamber when the plug is fitted into this end of the chamber. This plug serves not only to close the chamber 2 but also as a base upon which the pipe, as a whole, may be supported by resting the under side of the plug closure upon a table or other fiat support.

As illustrated in Figure 1, a mass 11 of absorbent cotton, gauze, or any other absorbent material, is arranged within the chamber 2 and retained in place by the closure plug 9. It will also be observed, by reference to this figure, that the tube 5 communicates with the chamber 2 at a point above the point of communication of the stem 3 with the chamber so that the smoke drawn from the bowl 1 through the tube 5 and into the chamber 2, must pass through the absorbent mass 11 before entering the stem 3. By reason of this construction, any particles of tobacco, ashes, or other solid particles which may be drawn through the tube 5, will be collected in the chamber 2 and prevented from reaching the stem 8, as will also the oil from the tobacco. It will also be evident that, in passing through the absorbent mass 11, the smoke from the burning tobacco will be filtered and, as its passage is retarded, it will be cooled.

It will also be evident from the foregoing description of this embodiment of the invention that any saliva whch may flow through the stem 3, will not reach the tobacco in the bowl 1, but will be collected in the bottom of the chamber 2. It will also be evident that the ends of the tube 5 are removably fitted into the openings 6 and 7 in the bowl 1 and chamber 2, respectively, and that the stem 3 is removably fitted into the opening 8 in the chamber 2 and the plug 9 is removably fitted into the open lower end of said chamber, so that all of the component parts of the pipe may be readily separated and cleansed from time to time, as occasion may require, and

the filtering mass of absorbent material 11 may of course be removed from the chamber 2 and the supply replenished so that when one mass of this material has absorbed a quantity of saliva, tobacco oil, and other impurities, it may be removed and a new mass substituted therefor, or, if desired, the absorbent material may be dispensed with.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the bowl of the pipe is indicated by the numeral 12, the filtering and cooling chamber by the numeral 13, and the stem by the numeral 1 1, and this embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in Figure 1 principally in the relative arrangement of these component parts of the pipe, it being observed that in Figure 1 the cooling and filtering chamber 2 is illustrated as located between the bowl 1 and stem 3 of the pipe on a straight line, or, in other words, the bowl and stem are located at opposite sides of the cooling and filtering chamber. In the arrangement shown in Figure 2 however the bowl 12 and stem 14 are both located at the same side of the cooling and filtering chamber 13. The said chamber 13 comprises a hollow cylindrical body 15 which is open at both its upper and lower ends, a closure plug 16 being removably fitted into the upper end of the body with its margin preferably flush with the outer surface of the said body, and the plug 17 corresponding to the plug 9 of the previously described embodiment and being removably fitted into the lower end of the body 15. A short tube 18 serves to establish communication between the bowl 12 and chamber 13 and is fitted removably at its ends in openings 19 and 20 formed respec tively in the said bowl 12 and said chamber 13, the chamber 13 being formed in its wall, below the opening 20 with an opening 21 to accommodate the intake end of the stem 14. It will be observed that in this embodiment the opening 20 is located near the upper end of the chamber 13 and the opening 21 is located near the lower end of the said chamber, the bowl 12 being supported with its bottom located immediately above the said stem 14 and in the same vertical plane therewith. V A mass 22 of absorbent material such as that referred to above in connection with the embodiment shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, is arranged within the chamber 13 and it will be evident that the smoke which is drawn through the tube 18 from the bowl 12, must pass through this mass before entering the intake end of the stem 14, it being filtered and cooled in its passage therethrough. In this embodiment, as in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the parts are all separably connected and therefore may be disassembled to permit of thorough cleansing.

In the embodiment of the invention shown IOU in Figure 3 of the drawings, the bowl and filtering and cooling chamber are in the form of a single unit which is indicated in general by the numeral23 and this unit comprises a hollow cylindrical body 24 divided between its upper and lower ends by a partition 25 so that the upper portion of the body constitutes the bowl which is indicated by the numeral 26, and the lower portion constitutes the filtering and cooling chamber which is indicated by the numeral 27, the chamber 26 being open at its upper end and the chamber 27 having its lower end closed by a removable plug 28 corresponding to the closure plugs of the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. In this embodiment of the invention, communication is established between the bowl 26 and filtering and cooling chamber 27 through the medium of a U-shaped tube 29 the tube having its upper branch in communication with the bowl 26 near the bottom thereof and therefore immediately above the partition 25, and its lower branch in communication with the chamber 27 near the upper end thereof. The stem of the pipe, in this figure, is indicated by the numeral 30 and is removably fitted into an opening 31 formed in the body 24 near the bottom of the chamber 27.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings differs from the embodiment shown in Figure 3 in that, while the embodiment shown in the latter figure is in the form of an integral unit including the bowl and the cooling and filtering chamber, in the embodiment shown in Figure 4 the bowl and chamber, which are indicated respectively by the numerals 32 and 33 are formed separate from each other and the closed bottom of the bowl 32 and closed top of the chamber 33 are assembled in abutting relation and the two parts are connected and placed in communication with each other by a substantially U-shaped tube 34 having its branches fitted into openings formed in the walls of the bowl and chamber and corresponding to the tube 29 of the embodiment shown in Figure 3.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings is similar, in its principles, to the embodiment shown in Figure 1 except that in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 the bowl and cooling and filtering chamber constitute a single unit indicated in general by the numeral 35, the bowl being indicated by the numeral 36 and the chamber by the numeral 37 and the two being integrally united by molding or otherwise, depending upon the nature of the material of which the pipe is formed. As illustrated in the said figure the bowl and chamber are of the same general contour as the bowl and chamber in Figure l and the bowl is integral at its lower rear side with the upper forward side of the chamber 37, the bowl 36 therefore occupying a more elevated position than the chamber and an opening 38 being formed in the portion of the unit which constitutes the integral juncture of the bowl and chamber to provide for the passage of smoke from the bowl into the upper end of the chamber. The chamber 37 is provided with a removable plug 39, corresponding to the plug 9 of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, for closing its lower end, and the stem of the pipe, which is indicated by the numeral 40 is removably fitted at its intake end into an opening formed in the rear side of the body of the chamber near the lower end thereof.

From the foregoing description of the illvention it will be evident that in all embodiments thereof the same advantages prevail. The smoke from the burning tobacco is thoroughly filtered before it reaches the stem of the pipe and, as its passage through the filtering and cooling chamber is more or less indirect and somewhat retarded, the smoke is cooled thereby avoiding the burning sen-.

sation in the mouth of the smoker as is common in the use of the ordinary types of pipes. It will furthermore be evident that no saliva can enter the bowl of the pipe to wet the tobacco and cause frying of the tobacco or extinguishment of the fire, nor can any saliva be drawn back through the stem of the pipe into the mouth of the smoker as it is trapped in the cooling and filtering chamber. It will also be understood that due to the arrangement of the component parts of the pipe and the nature of the connections between the same as well as by the provision of the removable closure plug for the cooling and filtering chamber, all parts of the pipe may be thoroughly cleansed and reassembled and, by removing the said plug, any impurities or foreign particles which may have accumulated, as well as any moisture, may be discharged from time to time from the cooling and filtering chamber thus obviating the necessity of a frequent disassemblage of the parts of the pipe and individual cleaning thereof. Another advantage obtained by the use of the pipe embodying the invention is that there is economy in the use of tobacco as all of the tobacco introduced into the bowl of the pipe may be burned or consumed due to the fact that no moisture can reach the interior of the bowl. Furthermore, as the tobacco in the bowl is maintained in a dry state, there is less likelihood of the fire being extinguished thus obviating the necessity of frequently relighting the pipe.

It will be observed that in all of the illustrated embodiments of the invention the pipe may be grasped and held by holding the filtering and cooling chamber in the smokers hand so that, even when the tobacco in the bowl is nearly consumed, there will be no likelihood of this part of the pipe becoming so heated as to cause discomfort in holding the same.

It will be understood of course that the bowl, stem, and cooling and filtering chamber of the pipe may all be made in different forms and styles and of any desired mate rial and ornamented in any desired manner, and it will also be understood that the bowl of the pipe may be replaced by a small- 5 er bowl to constitute a cigar or cigarette holder.

It will be understood of course that the mouth piece stems in the several embodiments of the invention may be located at any point desired, where they enter the cooling and filtering chamber.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A smokers pipe comprising abowl, a cooling and filtering chamber, a stem in communication at its intake end with the lower rear portion of the cooling chamber and means establishing communication between the lower portion of the bowl at the forward side thereof and the upper portion of the cooling chamber at the rear thereof, thereby supporting the bowl in a position directly above the stem.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT WV. BANKS. 

